Thoughts by Dr. Steven Bruns

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Article XXIX-Last Things-Final Destiny

Concluding the series on the Free Methodist Church’s Articles of Religion (see here and here for an explanation of the series and format):

¶130 Last Things–Final Destiny

Our eternal destiny is determined by God’s grace and our response, not by arbitrary decrees of God. For those who trust Him and obediently follow Jesus as Savior and Lord, there is a heaven of eternal glory and the blessedness of Christ’s presence. But for the finally impenitent there is a hell of eternal suffering and of separation from God.

¶131 Scriptural References

The doctrines of the Free Methodist Church are based upon the Holy Scriptures and are derived from their total biblical context. The references below are appropriate passages related to the given articles. They are listed in their biblical sequence and are not intended to be exhaustive. Mark 9:42-48; John 14:3; Hebrews 2:1-3; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:22-27.

This is the last Article in the Free Methodist Articles of Religion. These are our doctrinal statements and are the boundaries of what our pastors, congregations, and members have for the range of theological options within our Church. This one covers something that is not too popular in modern discourse–eternal destinies.

The fact that there are two different options to our ultimate existence is not popular even inside the Church any more, let alone outside the Church. In fact, I would venture to say that most Western Christians do not believe that anyone will ultimately go to hell anymore. If they did, and they had unbelieving family and friends, there would be a lot more prayer and sharing of the Gospel in love than there is today in the West. We may give lip service to the idea of hell, and we may even think that some really horrible people may end up there, but we tend to function as if the vast majority of humanity is just fine and has no need for rescue from this horrible.

Free Methodism has a range of beliefs within it as to exactly how the judgment will happen and what it means to be finally impenitent, but one thing it is adamant about is that there is a hell and some people will, through their own life’s choices, be there. If you look through the Bible seriously, one thing that stands out is that it is up to us which destiny is ours. Our choices in life, to accept the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ and continue to life it it, or to remain separated from Christ are what determine our address for everlasting life.